Kevin Costner’s ambitious Western epic, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, debuted with a disappointing box office haul of just over $11 million. While the film’s high budget of $100 million raises concerns about its financial viability, its star, Michael Rooker, has a different take. Rooker urged people to give the movie a chance, lauding director and co-star Kevin Costner for creating what he described as “real cinema.”
Michael Rooker Urges Viewers to Embrace “Real Cinema”
Michael Rooker in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). Image Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Michael Rooker, star of Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 has attributed the film’s low opening-weekend box office numbers to the short attention spans of today’s audiences. The Western film, which opened to just over $11 million, did not have a strong start, but Rooker is encouraging viewers to give it a chance. He praised Kevin Costner, the film’s director and co-star, stating that the movie represents “real cinema.”
During an interview with TMZ at Los Angeles International Airport, Rooker discussed the film’s underwhelming box office performance, where it only made $11 million against its $100 million budget.
Known for his role in Guardians of the Galaxy, Rooker stars in the Western epic as Sgt. Major Thomas Riordan. He expressed his thoughts to TMZ following the film’s disappointing opening weekend, urging people to step away from TikTok and appreciate “real cinema.”
“It’s real cinema folks, so be prepared,” Rooker said. “We ain’t used to that s-it, you know? We’re used to 90-minute movies. Everything’s 90 minutes… Oh come on, give me a break… Get over that s-it. Let’s watch a movie that actually tells a story, where you learn about the people and grow to like them, or hate them. It’s not all fast cut, cut, cut.”
When asked if the low viewer turnout for Horizon could be due to audiences being “TikTok-ified,” Rooker responded: “Totally they are. Of course they are. They need to get over that. They need to learn how to watch real cinema, please.” He added, “Stop hanging and go see the movie. You’ll enjoy it. Go to the bathroom before you go in.”
Kevin Costner’s Dedication and Vision for Horizon: An American Saga
Kevin Costner in Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 (2024). Image Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Michael Rooker also talked about Costner’s brilliance as both a director and an actor. Referring to the film’s three-hour length, Rooker advised viewers: “Stop hanging, go see the movie. You’ll enjoy it. Go to the bathroom before you go in.”
Directed, co-written, and starring Kevin Costner, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 is set to be a four-part Western drama spanning 15 years during the American Civil War.
SUGGESTED: Kevin Costner’s Ambitious ‘Horizon: An American Saga’ Has A Disastrous Rotten Tomatoes Debut
At a premiere screening, Costner revealed to the press that he had mortgaged one of his properties to fund the movie. He stated that he is on track to spend $98 million of his own money on the first three films, with the total expected to exceed $100 million by the completion of the fourth.
Costner leads the ensemble cast, which includes Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Danny Huston, Giovanni Ribisi, Jena Malone, Jamie Campbell Bower, Luke Wilson, Tom Payne, and Isabelle Fuhrman. Rooker further praised Costner’s dual role as actor and director, highlighting how he has brought together the perfect cast to bring Horizon: An American Saga to life.
The second Horizon movie in the planned quartet of films will be released by Warner Bros. on August 16. In the meantime, Costner has begun work on the third film. At this point, it’s unclear how Costner’s plans to film a fourth movie will be impacted by the first film’s poor box office opening.
